How to open a laundry door that is stuck?

[Stevelkt]

Hi members, I hope everyone is keeping hale and hearty in this cold weather.

I stuffed up my laundry door and need expert advice. Recently, my laundry door was very difficult to open so I pulled very hard and the top part of the door opened opened but the bottom part just wouldn’t budge. In frustration I yanked harder and that was a big mistake because the door opened but a chunk of the wood broke off from the bottom left hand corner. And in a moment of panic I pushed the door shut immediately. Now it won’t open again and I am hesitant to force it open again to prevent further damage.

You Tube videos show how to tighten the hinges of doors which won’t close when they are in open position  but I can’t find one which shows how to open stuck doors so that the hinges can be tightened. All suggestions are welcome. Cheers.

Where the gaps areThe loose hingeThe part which won’t budgeThe loose hingeTop left hand cornerBottom right hand corner

[Akanksha]

Hello @Stevelkt,

Firstly, let me extend a warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. We hope you've been finding the site useful and inspirational for your D.I.Y. and home improvement projects. 

Sorry to hear about your stuck laundry door. I'm sure our resident D.I.Y. expert @EricL will be happy to assist once he's back online later today. In the meantime, let me also tag experienced Workshop members @Adam_W, @JoeAzza and @ProjectPete to see if they can help. 

Akanksha 

[EricL]

Hello @Stevelkt 

Thanks for sharing your question about your laundry door. In this particular situation, I suggest removing the hinge pins with a Ramset 3.8 x 75mm Concrete Nail. Place the nail under each hinge pin and slowly tap the nail with a hammer until the pin comes out. Put the pins on your worktable so that they don't get misplaced. 

In order to remove the door, you'll need one person inside and one outside. The person outside will slowly thump the door with their fist to make it move forward, while the person inside will catch the door as it comes out. 

Once the door is out of the door frame you can now make repairs. I suggest examining the hinges and see if they have been bent out of alignment, check the bottom of the door for water damage and timber swelling. I also recommend checking the hinge screws and see if they have come loose. I recommend painting any timber raw edges to prevent moisture damage.

I suggest using Selleys 100g Liquid Nails Construction Adhesive to glue back the broken part of the door. However, if too much of the timber has gone missing, I recommend using Builders Bog to patch the door.

Please make sure to wear personal protection such as gloves, goggles and a mask when working on your repair project.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[JoeAzza]

Hi @Stevelkt, I suggest to flat chisel and a wide spatula, the spatula is used to prevent damage the door sill, insert the spatula in between the bottom of the door and the door sill, then lightly tap the chisel between the door and spatula, tap it in using a hammer, do not hit too hard, just enough the lift the base of the jammed door, then try to open it, hopefully this will work.

[Stevelkt]

Thanks for your help, Akansha.

[Stevelkt]

Thanks Eric but removing the door is too daunting for me. However, I appreciate your help and will take note of your pointers.

[Stevelkt]

Thanks Joe. Will give it a go once I get the tools.